Buy a Bill of the Play, Drury Lane Theatre: 1804

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Image of a young woman selling theatre bills for Hamlet outside the Theatre Royal. She also carries a pannier around her neck with nuts and fruit. This image was originally published as a series of thirty one prints with drawings by W.M. Craig and engraved by Edwards. Theatre bills contained the title and cast of the night's performance, they were sold at the door of the theatre for one penny, mostly by female criers. The same criers also sold fruit, and customers who also bought fruit were given a bill for free.